Beneath the Stars
by amethyst-key
Summary: Cloud and Tifa go for a ride on Fenrir.


**A/N:**This is for a friend on LJ that wasn't feeling well.  
**Thanks: **To my beta, Qwi-Xux.

It usually happened after Cloud had come home from deliveries and before the kids came home from school. He would enter the bar and ask Tifa if she needed any help, and, depending on the tone in which she said "no," he would either stay and help her or make his way to the garage.

Normally, he would work until Marlene and Denzel came home, then he would exit the garage to eat dinner with his family. But sometimes when he was planning a delivery that would take him more than a day, he would go back out to the garage after putting the kids to sleep and make sure that Fenrir was top par, able to make the journey there and back without any problems.

The garage was more than just a place to store Fenrir and the occasional box of items that Tifa would place in the corner; the garage was Cloud's sanctuary, the place he would escape to when ever he needed to think or be alone. Though the garage had been deemed _"Cloud's place," _the kids came back every once in a while if something was on their mind and Tifa was unavailable to talk to… or when Denzel needed to discuss "man business" with Cloud and he didn't want Tifa or Marlene to hear. He always kept the door open, a welcome invitation if they ever needed him.

His family would tease him about how much time he spent in the garage tinkering with Fenrir. They would smile playfully and tell him that they were surprised that he hadn't gotten Fenrir to talk yet with how many upgrades he had put into it. To that Cloud just smiled, the corners of his mouth rising ever so slightly, glad that they had become comfortable enough to tease him again. One evening Cloud had climbed the steps to the children's room to wish them a good night and to promise them that they would see him the next day. Just as he was about to shut off the lights he had turned to the two children snuggled in their beds and said, quite seriously, "Fenrir says good night, too." With that, he flipped off the lights and made his way down to the bar, the sound of giggles following him.

Cloud reached into the toolbox that was balanced on the edge of the metal table situated in the corner, hand finding the tool he needed just by touch. There were few places where Cloud felt in his element, the garage being one of them. In there he could relax, soak up the silence, and just _think… _something he found difficult to do in the noisy bar, and with Barret's arrival earlier to stay with them for the week, it had been even more crowded in the house. There was something calming about the smell of motor oil and the feel of metal and chrome under his sensitive fingers as they traveled over the surface of Fenrir's exterior, searching for any kind of blemishing or damage that might become a hazard on the road.

The sound of sneakers against the wooden floor and the brush of cotton against skin alerted him to her presence just outside of the door. Cloud looked up at the door, waiting for Tifa to enter. Not often did she make the journey to the garage, understanding his need for quiet away from the bar. She also knew that the garage was one of the few things in life that were simply _his _without spoken word or consent. Just as the spot behind the bar was her place, a place that no one dared to step into unless admitted before, the garage was his.

Tifa appeared, smiling at him gently as his eyes lit up in an unspoken greeting. Words were not his way of communication, but rather eyes and body language. She was adjusting, her eyes picking up on the small things that communicated his feelings for those he cared about. It would be a hand on Denzel's shoulder when he got home from school, a smile at Marlene when she pointed out something that no other seven year old would pick up, and a gentle hand on Tifa's back in the bar when he leaned over to press his lips against hers everyday when he came home from work. He had done that everyday since Geostigma, and she sometimes thought that it was more for the benefit of the men in the bar; casually reminding them that she was _his_ and no one else's. Not that she minded.

"How are the upgrades coming?" she asked, watching as he ran his hand over one of Fenrir's stabilizers.

"I'm done."

"What did you do _this_ time?" Her tone was slightly impish, the small smirk on her face causing him to smile a little himself.

"I upgraded the stabilizers." He said, making sure he had put all of the bolts back in place.

"Meaning…?"

The corner of Cloud's lips lifted. "Now I can travel at a high speed, wielding First Tsurugi, and run less of a risk of crashing." He glanced at Tifa before his gaze returned to Fenrir.

Tifa tilted her head to the side, watching as Cloud exhibited what she could only describe as _pure_ male. He ran his fingers over the metal, tightening and pressing here and there before turning away from his bike and making his way to the work table.

"I'll probably be gone for about week," Cloud said, wiping his hands on the cloth beside his toolbox. His eyes flittered up to Tifa's face to gauge her reaction to his words. When he contracted Geostigma, Cloud had left without word, making it seem like he was just going on another delivery. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, to give Tifa and the kids that pretense, but now, as he watched their faces fall every time he said he would be going away overnight, he regretted it. They knew he would never leave like that again… but that didn't stop the uneasiness. The children had recovered mostly, but he would still see it at times with Tifa.

Tifa nodded, her eyes falling to her sneakers. Cloud's mouth opened to reassure her that he would come back… before closing it. _She_ knew that he would come back, and _he_ knew that his words had nothing to do with that belief. It was a show-me-don't-tell-me kind of thing, and he proved it to her every time he came back.

Instead of speaking, Cloud walked over to the pegs that held his riding goggles. "Want to take a test drive?" Cloud asked, taking a two pair of goggles off the peg by the door.

Tifa's eyes lifted and her head tilted to the side. "You want me to go with you?"

Cloud nodded, slipping one of the pairs over his head.

"But, the kids-"

"Are asleep and Barret is here." He finished, holding out one of the goggles.

Tifa bit her lip before a small smile spread across her face. She took the goggles out of his hand and turned to the door. "I'll be right back."

Cloud picked up the gloves that sat on the table and tugged each one on with practiced ease. The sound of her sneakers made him turn, his eyebrows raised at the sight of her hair back and the goggles over her eyes. She looked absolutely adorable standing there.

"I told Barret that we'll be gone for a while," she said, giving him a smile. Cloud blinked behind his goggles before nodding. He walked to the garage door, pulling it up before walking back to Fenrir. He settled his legs on either side of the bike, fingers tightening around the handle bars in front of him. He gazed back at Tifa; eyebrows raised, mouth a line. "Where are you taking me?" Tifa asked, settling herself behind him and tucking her calves behind his. She wrapped her arms around his waist, curving against Cloud as his body leaned over Fenrir.

"You'll see." The tone he used was mischievous. He looked over his shoulder at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "No wandering hands, alright?"

Tifa's cheeks flushed and her mouth opened to scold him, but the low rumble of Fenrir's engines halted her, cutting off any further chance of conversation. The small shake of Cloud's silent laughter mixed with the rumble of Fenrir as Cloud maneuvered them through the winding streets of Edge.

The sun was just setting and the temperature dropping as they found their way to the wastelands surrounding the city. Cloud's body unconsciously tilted the motorcycle without intended destination, dust and the echo of Fenrir the only things left behind as they sped through the wastelands. Cloud's body was tense as he moved, and Tifa could imagine how his eyes burned with intensity and concentration behind his goggles.

Burying her face in his back, Tifa inhaled his unique scent. Leather mixed with oil filled her nose, addictive and heady, gentle… yet overpowering enough to cause her to lose her thoughts. She smiled at the memory of all of the times she had forgotten what she had planned to say or do when he kissed her hard, the feel of his lips and his scent saturating her senses. Her arms tightened around his waist and she sighed in bliss.

The corners of Cloud's lips turned upwards at the feeling of Tifa's arms around his waist tightening. Gunning the throttle Fenrir shot forward, Cloud's smile widening as she gasped and scooted closer to him, hands fisting in the material of his vest.

The wind around her was cold, even more so because of the glowing warmth of Cloud's back, legs, and thighs that was pressed against her. Tifa snuggled closer to him, cheek pressed against his back. The scenery around them flashed by… sand and stone coalescing together as they sped through the desert. The speed was overwhelming; the wind tugged at her hair and sent a tingling sensation through her skin.

She could see why Cloud enjoyed riding so much.

The landscape began to change… shifting from sand to twisted metal. Tifa's face lifted from his back to gaze around them, a puzzled look on her face. She bent forward and pressed her lips against his ear. "What are we doing here?"

Cloud shook his head, his soft spikes brushing the side of her forehead. "Wait."

He eased off the throttle as they entered the ruins of Midgar, slowing down as they passed broken, tumbled down buildings. Tifa recognized the area, despite the ruin. Tifa's head turned, her eyes settling on the ruins of Seventh Heaven.

Cloud stopped beside the old bar, let down Fenrir's kickstand before turning off the roaring machine. Loosing her hands out of the material of his vest, Tifa sat up, eyes gazing around her.

"I wanted to show you something," Cloud murmured, straightening up. He pulled his goggles off his head and set them on the gas tank between his legs. Tifa pulled off her own pair, draping them next to her on Fenrir. She glanced around her, eyeing the twisted metal and decaying buildings.

"What did you want me to see?" she whispered, leaning forward.

"Look up."

Tifa's eyes lifted to the sky, a small gasp falling from her lips. An endless sea of stars littered the sky, glowing and twinkling softly. "I haven't seen this many stars since Nibelheim," she said, her breath warm against his ear. She wrapped her arms around his back and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"I saw this when I was living in Aerith's church," he said, his head tilting slightly to watch Tifa's expression. Her eyes were wide as she stared up into the sky, the moon lighting them a deep ruby. A smile spread across her face and it thrilled him to no end to know that he put it there. "I wanted you see that the planet is healing."

Three years ago, not a star would have been visible through the smog of Midgar. She could still remember sitting on the roof of the first Seventh Heaven, gazing up at the sky, remembering her hometown and the enigmatic boy that had left it -and her- to pursue his dreams in SOLDIER.

Tifa smiled and nestled her chin in the crook of his neck. He knew how much guilt weighted on her since their AVALANCHE days… and it touched her to know that he cared enough to show her _this_, to show her that their actions had not gone without positive result.

Every thing on Gaia was healing… slowly, but surely. Plants were beginning to grow where mako reactors had once been, the air was becoming pleasant to breathe, and finally, stars were starting to shine.

"Thank you," she whispered gently, pressing her lips to his cheek.

Cloud tilted his head, capturing her lips with his. His fingers cupped her chin and he pulled her closer. His hand moved from her jaw to curl around the back of her neck. She gave a small sigh and buried her fingers in his hair. Smiling softly, he pulled back, his breath fanning against her lips.

"You're welcome."


End file.
